The Bible Is Not Safe for Children

If public schools are to teach the “literature and history” of the Bible, as some Texans desire, will they leave out the parts that say it’s OK to kill your slaves and disobedient children?

There’s more sex, violence and moral ambiguity in the Bible than in an episode of “The Sopranos.”

Jeff Schweitzer on the Huffington Post:

The Legislature in Texas in a fit of religious fervor mandated in 2007 that starting in 2009 public schools must teach the “literature and history” of the Good Book. To avoid the obvious constitutional problems of separating Church and State, the law is carefully worded to provide a fig leaf to cover true and rather obvious intent, much akin to how Creationists attempt to hide religious purpose behind the guise of academic freedom.

But rather than continue to engage in this tiresome battle, I say let’s fight fire with fire, or at least brimstone with brimstone. Let’s agree to teach the bible in all of its bloody, misogynous, murderous, fratricidal glory. Let’s teach our impressionable children the following facts about the word of god:

• Exodus 21:20-21 It’s OK to kill a slave, because he is nothing but property, but only as long as he does not die from a beating until at least one day later.

• Exodus 21:7 If in need of a little extra income, a father could simply sell his daughter. And of course a female slave is worse off than a male slave; a male slave is automatically freed after 6 years; the woman is never freed.

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